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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29423433">Perhaps The Start Of Something Truly Incredible</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdyBirdy6602/pseuds/NerdyBirdy6602'>NerdyBirdy6602</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dimension 20 (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Campaign 03 Season 01: The Unsleeping City, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, He/Him and They/Them Pronouns for Cody Walsh, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Slow Build, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:53:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29423433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdyBirdy6602/pseuds/NerdyBirdy6602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You, a wild magic sorcerer/bard college student looking for this semester's textbooks, walk into the bookstore that a certain Vox Phantasma and Jersey Devil work at. Absolutely nothing could go wrong... Right?</p>
<p>Or: A Valentine's day present for my best friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pete Conlan | Pete the Plug &amp; Cody Walsh, Pete Conlan | Pete the Plug/Cody Walsh, Pete Conlan | Pete the Plug/Cody Walsh/Reader, Pete Conlan | Pete the Plug/Cody Walsh/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Perhaps The Start Of Something Truly Incredible</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/boyscoutpaladin/gifts">boyscoutpaladin</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey gang! Not my usual type of fic this week, but this was very fun to write! Thanks as always to my beloved best friend <a href="%E2%80%9Carchiveofourown.org/users/m3rcut10%E2%80%9D">m3rcut10</a>. Happy Valentine's Day, dude! Hopefully this is the start of a new tradition for us!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You walk into a bookstore around the corner from campus. With the new semester quickly approaching, you need to find these textbooks and you’re told the cheapest place is here. With the list on your phone, you walk in and catch the eye of a kind looking sales associate with a glowing green butterfly on his shoulder. Next to him, looking like he wished he could be anywhere else, was a person who looked like he had just gone on a shopping spree at Hot Topic or Spencer’s.</p>
<p>“Hi there,” the guy with a butterfly said with a smile. “My name is Pete Conlan, he/him, and this is my boyfriend. He’s a trainee.”</p>
<p>“Cody “Night Angel” Walsh, Ambassador of the Dark Lord, The Jersey Devil, and The Dark Lord of New Jersey,” the other guy prattles on, looking insanely proud of his demonic titles and, honestly, you’re impressed too. That’s a lot of titles to come up with, let alone memorize. “Oh, and, he/they.”</p>
<p>“Sweet,” you murmur, glancing between the two of them as you slide your phone across the counter. “I’m looking for some of my assigned books and I’m on a budget. Think you could help with that?”</p>
<p>“Totally,” Pete says enthusiastically, starting to glance over the list. “What’s the major looking like? Judging by the books I’d say… Theatre?”</p>
<p>“Film,” you correct kindly. “But close enough. Definitely going into screenwriting, and I’m also taking some acting classes. We’ll see where those go.”</p>
<p>“Dude, that’s so cool, I—”</p>
<p>The other guy, Cody, asks, “What kind of movies?”</p>
<p>You shrug and answer, “I don’t wanna pin myself down to a genre yet. I’m just going wherever the inspiration is, y’know?”</p>
<p>“Sick.”</p>
<p>Pete hops the counter, the familiar on his shoulder barely moving at all. Cody follows suit, albeit a little less smoothly. You chuckle to yourself, wondering how these two goofballs get anything done when they act like this. Still, you trust the two of them to help you out, and maybe you can have a little unexpected fun along the way.</p>
<p>“Her name’s Luna,” Pete informs you just as it occurs to you that you’ve been staring at his mythical companion. “She’s really sweet. C’mon, follow me.”</p>
<p>You walk at his side with Cody a half step behind the both of you. He keeps his head down, hands in the pockets of his black leather duster. You find yourself wondering what this guy is thinking, and why he looks perpetually pissed. To be fair, he definitely looks out of his element. The cozy, hipster aesthetic clashed against the mall goth vibes he was radiating. You want to ask what brought him to work at a bookstore, but you barely know either of them. So, the question remains unasked but you definitely find these two intriguing.</p>
<p>“So you’re in on all this magic shit too?”</p>
<p>You laugh, thinking on how to answer such a blunt question. The Unsleeping City had always been a part of you, whether you acknowledged it consciously or not. You would have bursts of magic at inopportune times which would of course be covered by some mundane story that the Umbral Arcana would make up on your behalf. More recently, however, you’ve been interested in studying movie magic and the stories multimedia could tell. Your inherent magic was being given a more productive outlet these days, rather than the mundane cantrips you often used your power for.</p>
<p>“I am,” you answer with a cheeky grin. “You’d think more people would be inducted, especially in this place. I mean, it’s New York City, right? If any city in the world was going to have a secret magical society, here would absolutely be it. The place where dreams come true, right?”</p>
<p>Pete gives you a raised brow, looking… Was he impressed? Flattered? Whatever it is, it makes heat rise to your cheeks. Luna seems to understand your words too as she flutters to land on your head. The sorcerer gives you an embarrassed, nearly apologetic look before admitting, “She seems to like you. And it’s nice to meet someone who understands the Unsleeping City. I didn’t understand it at first. I thought it was the drugs but… Nope. Magic! Who’d have thought, huh?”</p>
<p>For the first time, you make note of a pin on his jacket telling how long he’d been clean. Despite this, as Pete briefly mentions his past, you don’t feel any sadness in his tone. You are looking at a man that, while not fully healed, is recovering. He looked comfortable; happy. Honestly, he also looks like he would be an open book, willing to tell you about his experiences. You feel that Pete would be a good person to ask for advice, if you ever get that close to him.</p>
<p>“I made a deal with some second-rate demon,” Cody pipes up. “That’s how I got in.”</p>
<p>You start to snicker a bit, until you realize that this guy is absolutely telling the truth. There’s no mirth in his eyes as he admits his own method of induction, and your eyes widen as you simply ask, “What the fuck?”</p>
<p>“He said he was fucking Satan, okay?!”</p>
<p>Ouch. You’ve struck a nerve, apparently. A few of the other patrons look their way for a moment, but brush it off just as easily. You assume outbursts like this must happen a lot. In an attempt to remedy the situation, you say, “It sucks it wasn’t actually Satan. That would’ve been metal as fuck. Still, having powers granted by a demon is pretty cool.”</p>
<p>Cody cracks a smirk at that. You seem to have lifted his spirits at least for the moment. He holds his head a little higher as the three of you walk over to the textbook section. You start looking for the titles on your list, thankfully finding that the person who referred you was right. These books are incredibly cheap, to the point that aren’t entirely sure how the shop profits. You aren’t about to question it, though.</p>
<p>Shrill, high-pitched screams arise from the opposite side of the store. The crash of numerous stands and displays echo in the chaos. You immediately peek around the corner to see bookshelves falling like dominoes. At first you think it’s some sort of earthquake, but the magical aura from whatever is causing this practically punches you in the gut with how powerful it is. Whatever monstrous thing is terrorizing this store is obscured from your view, though. Taking a step forward to attempt to fight whatever is harming the unsuspecting shoppers, you find yourself held back. Pete’s firm hand is on your shoulder, and Cody has grabbed the opposite arm.</p>
<p>“I like the hustle,” Pete says with a wink. “But this isn’t your fight.”</p>
<p>“This kind of shit isn’t fun,” Cody adds. “Whatever nightmare this thing is, it’s fucked up.”</p>
<p>“Fuck that,” you answer incredulously. “I’ve known magic, and have had magic, as long as I can remember. I can help. Let me help!”</p>
<p>The pair don’t have time to answer, because the creature starts crawling further into the store. Now that you’ve got a line of sight on this thing, you are immediately repulsed. The worm-like creature looks like it has parchment for skin. There are spots that seemed yellow and worn like this creature was made of the pages of ancient tomes. Faded lettering in numerous languages are scattered across the skin, most of which are incomprehensible. Dripping from it’s enormous maw looks to be jet black, viscous ink. It wasn’t like anything you’d seen before in reality or fiction, but Cody’s description of a nightmare seemed apt.</p>
<p>“Someone wanted to stick to a theme,” you call out to the two. “It looks like the grossest bookworm ever.”</p>
<p>Pete, despite the tense battle about to begin, snorts out an inelegant but genuine laugh. Cody seems indifferent to your little joke, but that honestly tracks with his entire aesthetic so you can’t tell if he finds it funny or not. He unsheathes a monstrous sword instead. He looks like he’s struggling with it, and you can’t blame him. It truly is massive, almost comically so. You aren’t sure what the deal was with it, or if he was even legally allowed to have something like that. Still, part of you has to admit that, if it could actually function, it would be incredibly badass.</p>
<p>Cody takes a swing and a miss on both his attempts to attack with his sword. You can tell he’s embarrassed by this, but it doesn’t bother you much. You do wonder if he would benefit from a more practical weapon, but you weren’t judging. For all you know, he could be a master, though some part of you doubts it.</p>
<p>Pete casts Fireball, sets the creature aflame almost immediately. Its skin starts to flake into ash as the blaze spreads. The horrific, ear-splitting scream of agony is bone chilling, but the monster remains standing. You keep your eye out on the bookstore surroundings, trying to see if the books on the shelves catch fire or, in the worst case scenario, any of the unsuspecting patrons. Much to your surprise and amazement, he seems to keep his spell focused enough for it to not burn the whole place down. If anything, the flames actively avoid anything that isn’t the beast. You are witnessing a level of control that you’ve always aspired to have.</p>
<p>You close your eyes, trying to calm your racing heart. Before you can even think of controlling your powers, you know you have to get yourself under control. You reason that the three of you seem to have the upper hand in this situation, as the beast before you looks extremely hurt before it even has a chance to do any damage. You start running through the mental list of spells that could be helpful in this situation. Battle magic wasn’t your thing, per se. You work more with everyday mundane tasks and enchantments that help with special effects.</p>
<p>Before you give it another thought, the magic seems to travel from your mind outwards towards your fingertips. Technicolor static, like the glitching of a distorted film, grows in your hands. You throw it in front of the worm’s inky black eyes, clouding its vision for the time being. You feel a thrill of adrenaline at being able to help the fight.</p>
<p>Your eyes fall on Cody, who looks like he’s lost the drive to keep moving forward. With his shoulders slumped, you watch him continue mumbling to himself about his failure. You felt bad for this guy, even if he seemed like he sort of brought this upon himself. Cool-looking weapons didn’t always mean they’re useful weapons, after all. </p>
<p>“I’m such a fucking asshole,” he mumbles under his breath, dragging his sword behind him. “Can’t even hit with this stupid fucking sword I created.”</p>
<p>“You’re not an asshole, Cody,” you shout at him from across the room, watching him slowly lift his sullenly head to look at you. “You’re just trying so hard to be.”</p>
<p>As you wink at him, you feel the Bardic Inspiration begin to take effect. Cody gives you an appreciative little half smile. He looked less miserable than he did a few moments ago, so you definitely feel like it’s a success.</p>
<p>“You did not just quote The Social Network at Cody,” Pete teases, a small grin on his lips. “I mean, it’s definitely a solid choice for inspiration.”</p>
<p>“It’s a good—”</p>
<p>You try to say more, but the sound of white noise fills your ears. The magic within you swells like the crescendo of an overture. You brace for the surge that you’ve felt less frequently over the past few years, but are well acquainted with nonetheless. You look to your allies for support, but find that your vision is grainy, like the picture on an old television. Rubbing your eyes, you feel the magical energy begin to subside to a bearable level. When you look at Pete, he’s staring at you with wide, confused eyes.</p>
<p>“Dude, you just got, like, a third eye on your forehead.”</p>
<p>This was one of the milder side-effects, but it’s still unsettling. You can actually see through the third eye and, if anything, it seems to improve your vision. Shrugging, you answer, “I’m good! I’m good! Just a wild magic surge.”</p>
<p>Before you can gauge Pete’s understanding of your words, your suddenly renewed vision is blinded by thick, black goo that you recognize as ink from the monster before you. The heavy stench and bitter taste make your stomach churn, but as you feel your body seize and your flesh start to burn, you know the substance doubles as poison.</p>
<p>“Fuck,” you choke out before your body fully tenses up.</p>
<p>You hear more than see Cody tear this monster apart. With an angry battle cry and the sound of scraping metal, you hear an agonizing cry before complete silence falls on the bookstore. You try to break from the poisoned paralysis you’ve found yourself in, but to no avail. You can’t even wipe the ink from your eyes or spit out the goo in your mouth.</p>
<p>Cody asks, “Hey, can you hear us? Say something, dude!”</p>
<p>“Cody, I think we need to take them to Kingston,” you hear Pete say. “Whatever that thing spit at them is probably some sort of venom. We’ll take your moped.”</p>
<p>You then feel your body, stiff as a board, being held in strong arms. You’re wrapped in the scent of old cigarettes and axe body spray. Cody’s voice is mumbling half-hearted reassurances in your ear, which you can tell are meant to mostly convince himself. You want to reach out and tell him you’re fine, if not a bit embarrassed by being overpowered so easily. The words catch in your throat, letting only the faintest sound to pass through your lips.</p>
<p>You’re then jostled a bit as you hear the revving of an engine of some sort, weak but very much there. Though you aren’t entirely sure your best guess is that you’re on a moped, which only adds to your embarrassment. You wonder if anyone had thought to call an ambulance, but simultaneously realize that not everyone was inducted into the Unsleeping City, which might lead to more explaining than the umbral arcana could take.</p>
<p>You feel another person, presumably Pete, hop on the back of the moped. The rickety old thing rattles as Cody drives to what you assume to be the nearest hospital. It takes an agonizingly long time to arrive and all the while you’re trying to break free of whatever poisonous-goo-paralysis your body has succumbed to. When the poor over-burdened moped comes to a stop, you are once again lifted and carried away.</p>
<p>“Emiko,” Pete says. “We need to see Kingston, like, now. Is he busy?”</p>
<p>“No, but he just went on break,” a young woman, you assume Emiko, answers. “I’ll fetch him. Head into his office, and I’ll bring him to you.”</p>
<p>You’re on the move again, all the while listening to their worried, frantic murmuring. Whoever’s holding you, you assume Cody, sets you down so you’re flat. A gentle hand comes beside your neck, pressing two fingers firmly against the exposed skin. Deep down, despite how uncomfortable you were in this condition, you feel comfort at knowing you’re in good hands.</p>
<p>“They have a pulse,” Pete mumbles. “We didn’t kill them, thank god. Imagine just shopping for your books and getting attacked by pure nightmares. That thing was after me, Cody, not them.”</p>
<p>“It’s not your fault, babe,” Cody assures him. “It’s not. Fucking Null needs to crawl back into the hole they came out of. If anything’s to blame, it’s the thing that tried to fucking kill you too.”</p>
<p>There’s a long moment of silence, which almost makes you feel like you’re intruding on something even if the intrusion is out of your hands. Nonetheless, the tender moment warms your heart. The feeling passes when you hear a door swing open, and a rather familiar voice fills your ears. After all, everybody knows the Voice of the People.</p>
<p>“Hey there Pete,” Kingston greets. “And Cody. And… a person covered in magic shit?”</p>
<p>“We got attacked at the bookstore,” Pete explains. “And they really helped our asses out.”</p>
<p>“But they got a little fucked up in the process,” Cody continues. “Poison, or something. Can you… Can you do your thing, or whatever?”</p>
<p>You can practically hear Kingston’s eye roll as you feel a hand placed on your stomach. Warm, comforting magic flows in your veins. It’s the glow of an early morning sunrise over the skyline. It’s the rush of the subway as your train—reliably ten minutes late, of course—finally pulls into the station. It’s the taste of a fresh Sabrett’s with the works from the cart down the street. Kingston’s Vox Populi magic is like experiencing all of New York’s finest moments at once.</p>
<p>You sit up in a flash, coughing up any of the ink that caught in your throat as you claw at the remaining ink in your eyes. When they’re clear, and you can speak, you take in their concerned expressions and answer their silent question.</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” you wheeze. “That fucking sucked.”</p>
<p>Pete lets out a nervous laugh, the frown on his face easing into a small smile. Even Cody, with all his attempts at a cold, impassive expression, breathes a sigh of relief. Kingston reaches for some wet wipes and cloth to clean you up so you don’t have to leave here looking like an absolute mess.</p>
<p>“The third eye’s gone,” Cody says, very clearly trying to break the uneasiness between them. He seems to think better of it and adds, “Not that there was anything wrong with having a third eye, I guess. Fuck, I mean—”</p>
<p>“A wild magic surge?”</p>
<p>Your cheeks flush in embarrassment as you refuse to meet Pete’s eyes. Your magic has always come naturally to you, but it has been volatile and unpredictable for just as long. By no means are you ashamed of your powers, but you sometimes wished you had a better handle on them. Pete clocks your embarrassment quickly.</p>
<p>“Hey, no shame here! It took me forever to get a handle on my surges, and I still get them sometimes,” he assures you quickly, stepping forward and putting a hand over yours. “The results aren’t so disastrous these days, but they still happen.”</p>
<p>Your eyes immediately follow Pete’s hand and your face still feels warm, but it’s not embarrassment fueling it anymore. It’s nice for someone besides your immediate family to understand the struggle. You can tell just from looking at Pete that he has immense power, but also that he’s worked incredibly hard to get to this point.</p>
<p>“And that spell was badass,” Cody pipes up. “I mean, you shot the bookworm with movie magic. That’s fucking cool! I can barely swing a fucking sword.”</p>
<p>Kingston, who is simply listening to the encouraging banter, looks very confused at hearing about some monstrous bookworm. You simply shrug and joke, “Perhaps the one true weakness of a good book: A shitty movie adaptation.”</p>
<p>You make jazz hands and Pete snorts rather loudly. Even Cody cracks a genuine smile, unable to keep up the stoic facade. You can’t help but grin, despite still being covered in an uncomfortable amount of magic ink. Pete’s hand is still holding yours for perhaps longer than strictly necessary, Cody looks mildly content for the first time since you met him only half an hour before, and you couldn’t help but feel warmth in your chest.</p>
<p>Pete, possibly thinking he was encroaching on your personal space, takes a step back. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, and to you his cheeks look more rosy than they did a few moments ago. Him and Cody exchange a look that you don’t fully understand before Pete speaks up.</p>
<p>“So we couldn’t get you your books, you got roped into fighting a monster from the Sixth Borough, and we landed you in the hospital,” Pete sums up with a small smile. “What if we buy your books as repayment for kicking ass with us?”</p>
<p>Your eyes widen, and you recall that your list of books accrued to well over a hundred dollars in value. You shake your head quickly, saying, “No worries! That’s a lot of money and I can buy my own books. You’ll probably just have to show me around again, if you don’t mind.”</p>
<p>“What about dinner sometime?”</p>
<p>The blurted words come from Cody, which surprises you, Pete, and Kingston who, not wanting to intrude on what had the potential to be a private moment, excuses himself. You look at Cody, who does appear rather bashful now that he’s said the words out loud. It crosses your mind, briefly, that the expression looks cute on him.</p>
<p>“With both of you? If Pete’s also cool with it, sure.”</p>
<p>The man in question looks dumbfounded for a second. His mouth opens and closes several times, and he blinks rapidly. You’re about to ask him if he’s alright when he answers, “Yeah! I mean, uh, sure. Sounds cool.”</p>
<p>You exchange numbers with the two of them, handing phones back and forth. When that’s all settled, Pete says, “I should probably check on Nod again.”</p>
<p>“You can just go to Nod?”</p>
<p>Pete gives you a funny look, and then gasps. “Oh, shit! I should’ve introduced myself a little better. Vox Phantasma, at your service.”</p>
<p>You stand there for a moment in shock and awe. The Vox Phantasma was someone of great reverence in your family. Magic and dreaming were practically in your blood as wild magic sorcerers. You had known that both Voxes were present in New York as of three years ago, which was a rarity in and of itself, but you hadn’t realized you were in his presence. Your hand comes to cover your wide smile. That would the immense power and control you had sensed earlier.</p>
<p>“Holy fuck,” you whisper. “I had no idea. And I just fought beside <em>the</em> Vox Phantasma? If you told me that, you wouldn’t have had to pay me back at all! It’s an honor.”</p>
<p>Pete blushes and Cody, looking jealous, reminds you, “And you fought beside the Jersey Devil! I’m cool too!”</p>
<p>You snort, nodding understandingly. “Yeah, you’re both super fucking cool! Really, this is absolutely amazing.”</p>
<p>Cody seems satisfied with that answer, smirking to himself and mumbling something about being a badass. It was, admittedly, kind of cute and rather endearing. Underneath the tough exterior was just a guy who wanted to be included and perceived as cool, and wasn’t that something anyone could understand?</p>
<p>Letting Cody have his moment, you turn back to Pete and ask, “I know this might be a big ask, but do you think you could take me to Nod sometime? I’ve always wanted to go, but it’s hard to reach without sleeping or having the company of the Vox Phantasma.”</p>
<p>Pete hums. “Now is kinda a bad time, but yeah, eventually! I can also show you how to deal with the surges better, if you want.”</p>
<p>Your heart beats loudly in your chest, loud enough that you wonder if Pete and Cody can hear it too. All you can do is bob your head enthusiastically, looking forward to this eventual trip to Nod and, apparently, a dinner date with Pete and Cody. When you woke up this morning you hadn’t expected any of this, that’s for sure. Even the best psychic couldn’t predict fighting a creature from the Sixth Borough and meeting two, technically three, of the Champions of New York in the same day. It was a dream come true, and perhaps the start of something truly incredible.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for reading, guys! As always, kudos, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome. (Please, I've never done a work in second person or present tense. How'd I do?) Check out my tumblr <a>here</a> for extra content and whatnot. A lovely day and happy Valentine's day to all!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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